Wellington, Nov. 7 -- India bowling coach Morne Morkel paid tribute to Mohammed Shami following his Test retirement, praising his skill, character and contribution to the dressing room.

Morkel recalled how Shami helped him settle into the Indian setup and bridge the language gap, adding that it was sad to see him leave the longest format. He also noted that Shami continues to bowl plenty of overs back home.

Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing an end to a career that saw him become one of India's most dependable fast bowlers across conditions and on the biggest stages.

"I was quite fortunate when I first started with the group for Shami to be a part of the team. You know, a highly skilful player, a quality guy to ...